Need a date idea for Valentine's Day this year? You've come to the right place. Here at midlifebachelor.com, we've been through quite a few V-day dates in our day, and so here are some of our best suggestions.

These ideas vary according to how long you have been dating someone, or if you are married. In all cases, you probably want to have your plans ready at least three weeks in advance, especially if you are going to need to make reservations somewhere. I've dividing our suggestions to you up into three categories:

1) Someone you've only been dating only a short time
2) Someone you've been dating for a while
3) Someone you are married to

Here are the official midlifebachelor.com Valentine's Day Date Ideas ...

For someone you've only been dating a short time ...

Cook dinner for her, but only if you are good at it. Making her dinner at your house should guarantee some bedroom activity later in the evening. Alternatively, you could take her to a nice, but mid-priced restaurant.

Be sure you have dessert ideas lined up. All women LOVE a nice, fancy, delicious dessert so be prepared to either take her somewhere for that special dessert you cannot find anywhere else, or have it on-hand at your place (if you are cooking her dinner).

Bring her a small bouquet of flowers when you arrive to pick her up. This is typically better than sending her the flowers - which (in my opinion) is more appropriate for someone you have been dating a while. The flowers could be roses (pick red - not any other color) ... but don't show up with more than maybe 6 of whichever flowers you choose. If you feel that roses are too much for where you are at with this newer date of yours, then choose a type of flower you know she likes. And if you don't know which she likes, then go to your local florist and ask the florist what he or she recommends.

Bringing her some high-end candy is also an option, BUT ONLY if you know she will appreciate it. I, personally, prefer Godiva Chocolates - because they are unquestionably high-end, plus I like them a lot myself. Don't go overboard - just get a small box ... because you've only been dating this woman a short time, right?

You could also take her out to do something she enjoys, but choose an activity which likely will require you to hold her hand. This could be skating (ice skating, or roller blading), or it could be for a walk in the park or through the city, or maybe shopping for something appropriate. You get the idea. Most women LOVE to hold hands - and you might enjoy it, too ... unless she has hairy or scaly man hands. ha ha

Be sure to have a bottle of whatever she likes to drink available at your house or apartment. This gives you an excuse to bring her back to your place to "relax, maybe watch some TV, and enjoy some wine together". Plus - if the date craters, you can always go home and chug the bottle by yourself. ha ha

For someone you've been dating a while ...

You definitely should SEND her flowers - ideally at her work. There is a lot of politics going on here - and one of the key ideas behind sending her flowers at work is so that her colleagues can see the flowers ... as that is a public statement of your affection for her. All women appreciate being sent flowers. Don't overdo it - as that can work against you, making you look desperate. I suggest a dozen red roses ... and they MUST BE RED because other colors of roses mean different things. [Red means "love", and should be used even if you don't or haven't said the L-word ... red roses are simply the most appropriate for someone you are dating.]

Showing up with a box of Godiva Chocolates is also an excellent option - assuming she likes chocolate, of course. Buy the mid-sized box - otherwise you might make her fat, or fatter. (ha ha) And - it is important to never go overboard when showing up with gifts for V-day - whether chocolates or any other gift you may think up. If you do go overboard, then she will expect you to continue to go overboard in the future PLUS it might make you appear to be a bit desperate. Always keep that in mind. [If your girlfriend's legs resemble tree trunks, or if she is built like a buffalo, then please skip this idea.]

Take her out to dinner at a high-end restaurant that you know she will appreciate. This could be a restaurant with a view, or (if you live near the ocean) it could have a view plus a place to go for an after dinner walk (where you can hold hands together), etc. The point is - take her to someplace SPECIAL ... somewhere MEANINGFUL and ROMANTIC. I know those are broad terms - but it's difficult to be more specific given the different geographies and cultures around the USA today. What's meaningful in Newport Beach, CA is probably different than what is meaningful in Fargo, North Dakota, right? So focus on a restaurant with a view, and where you can have a romantic evening together - either during dinner, or immediately afterward. The dessert menu should be a key consideration in your choice of a restaurant - because a wonderful, tasty, delicious dessert can absolutely enhance her overall experience with you on this special night.

Weekend getaway time together. Valentine's Day sometimes falls on a Saturday or Sunday, in that case, you might also consider taking her for a weekend getaway somewhere romantic. This depends on your location, and also on your budget - so this suggestion means different things to different people. The key idea here is to try to take her somewhere where the two of you can be alone together, and away from the complications of everyday life ... where you can spend a day or two together, in love. Best to keep the itinerary simple - don't plan a bunch of activities ... keep it relaxed. You also might include a his-and-hers spa visit during such a trip ... like a couple's massage, etc. I personally prefer going to a bed-and-breakfast somewhere out of the way ... like in the mountains. You could do something like that, or head to a local city for an urban experience. Las Vegas is also an option. There are lots of choices - and I'm sure there is one that fits your specific geography and budget.

Include a couple's activity of some sort. Whether you choose the weekend getaway option or not, you could also add an activity that you know she will like. The choice of activity is highly dependent on the woman involved - an athletic woman will enjoy something physical (biking, jogging, sailing). A foofy woman might enjoy an enhanced spa experience, or even a shopping spree. You can also mix-and-match.

For someone you are married to ...

If you are married, and need to do some Valentine's Day planning - the first thing you need to think about is whether the two of you still like one another, and get along. Yes - you read that right. Here at midlifebachelor.com, I hear from married people all the time who cannot stand their spouse, or have a spouse who has cheated on them, etc. ... so there are two potential situations that will drive your Valentine's Day planning:

You love your spouse, and want to spend time with him or her.or

You do not get along with your spouse, and it won't matter whether you do anything on Valentine's Day.

In the first case (where you love your spouse, and want to spend time together) - simply refer to my prior suggestions for "For someone you've been dating a while ...". The additional suggestion that I have for you is if you have children, then try to arrange for a sitter so that you can enjoy your time together without having to deal with parenting issues. That will make for a much better overall experience - and can enhance your marriage.

In the second case (where you don't get along with your spouse), then you need to decide if you want to do anything with her on V-day. If you do - then take a look at all of the previous suggestions in this article, and pick the ones that you feel are appropriate. If instead, you don't at all want to do anything with your spouse on V-day, then you should probably refer to our other article here for some ideas on how to spend your time that day:

Good luck to everyone!!! Be sure to add YOUR COMMENTS BELOW, especially if you have new or different ideas to share about things to do on Valentine's Day!COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE?
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